Arrow‘s Stephen Amell is starring in the new science fiction thriller Code 8, just released on Friday, December 13, 2019. Code 8 co-stars Stephen Amell’s real life cousin, Robbie Amell (The Flash, Tomorrow People) and fellow Canadian actor Greg Bryk (Saw 5, Parallel Minds.)
In Code 8, police drones watch suspects to gather evidence. This is quite believable in the present or the near future, given current technology. According to the description, a “super-powered construction worker falls in with a group of criminals in order to raise the funds to help his ill mother” … a la Breaking Bad. Based on the trailer, it appears being a metahuman is illegal, but four percent of the population are metahumans.
In a place where using superpowers is illegal, it’s hard for metahumans to be trained in the effective and ethical use of their abilities.
Jeff Chan wrote and directed this film, just as he wrote, directed, and produced a short version of Code 8 three years ago. The original short was 10 minutes long, while this is a somewhat spare 98 minutes. The movie was filmed in Canada, and most of the cast and crew are Canadian.
The real story, though, is that Code 8 started as a crowd-funded project on IndieGogo, to the tune of a surprising $2.1 million, from over 28,000 backers in 100 countries. The short gained about 6 million views. Throughout the entire production, IndieGogo backers were invited to join the cast and crew on set to experience the film, and even shoot scenes for the movie.
And that’s not all – a Code 8 spinoff series has already been announced for the new streaming service Quibi. What started as a viral short film will become a shortform series, starring Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell. The film’s director Jeff Chan will helm the Quibi series and write it with the film’s screenwriter Chris Paré.
There will be a lot of movies being released around the holidays. Will you be seeing this one?
Have you seen the 2016 short? You’re in luck if you haven’t – here’s the ten minute short that started it all.
Have you seen Code 8 in the theater yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below. We always want to hear from you here at SCIFI.radio, your Whamaggedon-free station.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
